Overview

Long summer nights. Midnight sun. Reinvent your schedule, too.

Norway in a Nutshell from Rail Europe lets you see more of Norway by combining rail, ferry and bus travel through spectacular Norwegian scenery. It’s your chance to explore one of the most breathtaking landscapes in all of Europe at a pace that suits you rather than a tour guide.

And with everything there is to see, why rush? Travel the routes of the Vikings through mighty glaciers and deep green forests. Ferry between the spectacular fjords of Gudvangen. Make tracks to Oslo’s Edward Munch Museum surrounded by the natural beauty that must have led to “The Scream”.

Don’t forget Bergen, one of Norway’s prettiest cities encircled by 7 mountains. And though 95% of Norway remains forested or uncultivated, you’ll find Rail Europe train travel completely civilized. In fact, with all their itinerary expertise behind you, you’ll be able to do something the Vikings never did. Conquer Norway.

Reine on the Lofoten islands in northern Norway in winter

How does it work?

Rail Passes in 3 steps

1. Pick the right rail pass

Rail passes can be booked for travel in one specific country or you can choose one of a few pre-selected country/region combinations. Extensive travel plans? Try the Eurail Global Pass offering train travel in 33 different countries - including Great Britain.Once you've selected your pass, its price will depend on the class of service selected, passenger type, and the number of rail travel days.

2. Reserve your seats

Includes combined travel by second-class rail, ferry, and bus throughout Norway

Travel on the Flam railway.

Your choice of itineraries:

Voss - Myrdal – Flam – Gudvangaen - Voss

Bergen - Myrdal – Flam – Gudvangaen - Voss - Bergen

Oslo - Myrdal – Flam – Gudvangaen - Voss - Bergen

Oslo - Myrdal – Flam – Gudvangaen - Voss - Oslo

Oslo – Myrdal – Flam – Gudvangaen - Voss - Bergen - Oslo

Myrdal – Flam – Gudvagen – Voss (Only available when traveling with a rail pass that is valid in Norway)

Your choice of direction of travel

Stopovers permitted, 2 months to complete travel once started

The Express boat/ferry does not require reservations.

Conditions:

Norway in a nutshell is pre-validated at time of purchase and requires you to provide your travel dates.

Travelers must provide the following information in order to confirm seats on the Norway in a Nutshell: direction of travel, travel dates, departure times and stopovers via email after purchase. Instructions will be provided confirmation of purchase email.

Traveler will receive confirmation via email with their itinerary and instructions on how to retrieve tickets at Oslo or Bergen train stations.

Tours times will be confirmed within 2 – 5 business days after purchase and seats are not confirmed until confirmation is received.

Once the Tour dates have been confirmed the dates cannot be changed.

Travelers must print their tickets prior to boarding the train.

Tour can only be confirmed within 2 months of the first travel date.

Tour does not operate September 30, 2016 and on December 24 – 26, 31, nor on January 1.

High-speed Hydrofoil only operate from June 1 - September 30.

Tickets are 85% refundable if canceled more than 20 days before your first date of travel date, then are non-refund except as covered by the Rail Protection Plan. Refunds are subject to a 7% administrative fee.

Print at the Station Tickets are non-refundable once printed if lost or stolen unless covered by the Rail Protection Plan.

3. Activate and travel

Your rail pass requires that you activate it by getting it stamped at the ticket window at the departure station on the day of your first train journey. Once activated, you are all set and ready to explore.

Benefits

More than just trains

And the Norway in a nutshell is packed with bonuses to make your trip even more enjoyable. You'll get discounts on buses and trains or hotels or cruises or ferries or museums or activities, and more.With the Norway in a nutshell, the benefits like the connections it provides - are everywhere. Whether you are an adventurous traveler or avid planner, the Norway in a nutshell is your pass to freedom and an unforgettable journey of discovery.

Main discounts and bonuses in Norway in a nutshell

Travel forum

From our travel community

How do i book tickets from oslo to bergen
Hi, we're a family of 4. how do we go about booking train tickets from Oslo to Bergen? Also we wanted to do the "Norway in a nutshell" tour. how to we go about booking that too???

FAQ

Common Questions, Simple Answers

Q. Can I purchase a rail pass when I'm in Europe?

A. In general, rail passes can only be purchased prior to your arrival in Europe and cannot be purchased locally. If you’re already in Europe and would like to purchase a rail pass, we may be able to assist you, please call us at 1-800-622-8600.

With international shipping, we can send your rail pass to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, or Switzerland. The fee for orders sent to Europe is $40 USD or $45 CAD and delivery takes 3 to 7 Business days.

Q. Can I use my rail pass on any train within its area of coverage?

A. In general, yes, but there are some exceptions and a few rules to keep in mind.

First, be mindful that some trains (such as high speed, scenic, and night trains) require rail pass holders to purchase reservations at an additional cost.

For international train journeys, be sure that your rail pass covers the country of departure, country of arrival, and any countries through which your train will travel.

Lastly, some private rail lines in certain countries don’t offer reservations for rail pass holders and don’t accept rail passes. In these cases, you can purchase a train ticket locally for the desired journey.

Q. I selected a ticket but when I went to place my booking, the price changed. I went back to search for train tickets and saw the same price listed again in the results. Why did this happen?

A. For most trains, the price quoted is based on “live” availability, however, for certain trains we cannot check fare availability at the time of quotation due to the technical limitations of the international rail distribution system. Therefore, we use a stored price to build your quote, based on previously confirmed fares for the trip you requested.

In rare cases, we find out that the fare used for quoting your trip is no longer available upon confirming your reservation. At that time, we receive a new price from the system based on that very moment’s availability.

Unfortunately, due to these same technical limitations, we are unable to update the stored price for a specific train, even if we find out at the time of confirmation that a fare is no longer available.

Rest assured that we’re working actively to ensure that all prices quoted to you are based on live availability and limit the usage of stored prices for quotation purposes.

Q. How can I ensure that my traveling party is seated together?

A. In general, when you request fares and schedules for multiple travellers at once, we’ll always attempt to request that they be seated together. The best way to ensure this is to correctly indicate the number of travellers when you request your fares and schedules for your itinerary.

Occasionally, it might not be possible to seat everyone together based on availability at the time of booking, in which case the travellers will be seated in the closest available seats.

If the train you’ll be taking is non-reservable, all you have to do is board the train and sit in any available seat with the rest of your party.

Q. When I compare your schedules with European railroad sites, I notice some differences. Why?

A. Although this is not typical, you may occasionally find some discrepancies between the train schedules shown on our website and the ones listed on a rail carrier’s website. This is generally due to the fact that the rail carrier has not yet made available its complete schedule range in the European train schedule database we use to populate our booking engine.

We continuously work with individual European railroads to establish partnerships that ensure our direct access to all inventories in order to provide you with the fullest range of travel options.

Q. What should I do if a strike has been announced in the country I’m traveling to?

A. Typically, a strike only affects a few trains along certain routes. If a strike is called within a country, you may continue your travels if there are train services operating. If your train is affected by a strike, railway officials typically provide accommodations for either alternate train, or in some cases, bus transportation.

If a train is canceled by the railroads due to a strike, and alternate transportation has not been offered or if you decline the alternate transportation, then a railway official at the origin station must cancel your seat and they must stamp the back of your ticket/reservation “Not Used Due to strike” before the original train departure time. Our partners at the European Railroads will not allow us to process a refund unless this step has been taken.

This process will allow you to submit that train ticket/reservation for a refund. Please be sure that all refund requests are received by our Customer Relations department within 30-days of the train departure date.

Q. I’ve written the wrong date on my rail pass travel calendar box. What should I do?

A. If the wrong date is written in the travel calendar box, you will need to enter the correct date in the next travel calendar box. Unfortunately, once the date has been entered in the travel calendar box, it cannot be corrected and there’s no way to recover that travel day on the rail pass. Be very careful when filling out the date on your rail pass as mistakes cannot be corrected. An altered travel date could be viewed as an attempt of fraud and could lead to fines or other penalties.

Q. How far in advance can I purchase a train ticket?

A. Train tickets can be purchased in a booking horizon of 30 to 180 days in advance of a journey. This booking horizon depends on the route and each rail carrier’s policy.

In order to take advantage of the best prices and availability, always book as far in advance as possible. It’s particularly important to book early during peak travel seasons to ensure you can travel on the date you wish.

Please note – when planning a journey you can always enter a date within 30 days of today to view general travel times and ticket fares.

Q. I missed my train. What should I do?

A. If you’re traveling with a train ticket that doesn’t include a reservation, you can simply get on the next train that accepts tickets without reservations.

If you’re traveling with a train ticket that includes a reservation, you may have to purchase a new train ticket. Review the exchange and refund terms of your ticket to determine if your train ticket can be exchanged.

If you missed your train due to a connecting train being delayed, ask a Conductor or railway official to endorse your train ticket to say there had been a delay. This is usually sufficient proof for the train staff at the onward station to allow a free transfer to the next available train.

Upon your return home, please contact us via the Contact Us page to inquire about an applicable refund your ticket may qualify for. All refund information may be found on the after-sales voucher that was included with your train ticket.

Q. How long are train tickets valid for?

A. It depends if you have a ticket with a reservation or a point to point train ticket.

Point to point train tickets are valid within 15 days from the first day of validity printed on the ticket. You can travel with your train ticket on any date within the validity period (however, remember: separate reservations may be necessary, depending on the route).

Tickets with reservations are only valid for the train for which the reservation was issued, on that specific travel date and time of travel.

We've got you covered, add Rail Europe's Rail Protection Plan to your booking.
We offer an exclusive Rail Protection Plan™ that gives you the flexibility to change your train ticket, rail pass, reservation and select activities with no questions asked. You'll also be protected in the event of a railroad strike for train tickets, and in the case of loss or theft of paper tickets, rail passes, city passes or tours.